By Sword and By Claw
by Mountain King
Summary: Buffy stumbles upon an ancient weapon just a few days before the mayor's accention. Awakening an ancient evil and changing her destiny forever.
1. Trailer

By Sword and by Claw  
>Trailer<p>

Authors note:-

Alright, what follows is a sort of trailer for something I'm playing with. At the moment its a little too big for me to write, depending on what direction I take it. If I decide to write it at all.

I'm putting this out there to test the waters, if you will. If people like the idea I might be able to pull something out of it in the long term. If not then this is where it will stay.

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><p>Authors update<p>

Well That test went well. A lot of people liked this idea and it's already inspired at least one other writer to do something similar. After a while I've come up a big story for this one and have more than a few things planned. The only problem is this that this opening needed a few small tweaks to get it all to fit.

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><p>Trailer<p>

Willy knew this job was going to be fun. The guy running this town had it planned to the last detail. Hiring the biggest army of vampires and demons he'd ever seen with one goal, ambushing the Slayer, herd her away from her friends and allies, then kill her.

It had worked too, she'd ran like a rabbit. Trying to lose them; first on the streets, then in the graveyards and the woods. Finally she'd dived into a cave. Hadn't done her much good though, they'ed followed . 'Come on out Slayer,' he called over the chuckling of his friends. The Slayer was good against a few Vampires, but twenty six? She didn't stand a chance.

'It won't do you any good hiding Slayer, we can just smoke you out!' He lit his lighter before turning to one of the others. 'Get some wood, we're going to have us a bonfire!'

The chuckling spread as they surrounded the cave mouth and Willy flicked the lighter again. It had taken awhile to gather this many Vamps, but a lot less time than it should have. When word got out what was going on they had come from far and wide for the chance to take out the infamous Summers Slayer.

It was then the Slayer came out of the cave mouth, in one hand she had a silver dagger, a red ruby mounted just above the hilt. In the other she had a gold gauntlet, with short claws glinting in the moonlight. 'Looks like you found some toys.' He called out, his boys had toys too. Swords, axes, some had baseball bats and others knives. They'd come prepared, more than enough to take out tiny blonde girl. Even if she did have super powers

But as he looked at her his smirk fell away. There was something off about the way she stood, her shoulders were just that bit too straight. The way she looked at them wasn't a fighter backed into a corner. More that of a hunter that had their prey wander hapless into the killing fields.

Then he saw her eyes, shining green. Not a demon green, something colder, more primal than even that. Like two glinting chips of frosted jade. 'I don't like this Willy…' one of the gang said backing off.

'Then you keep back, the rest of us can take her.' he ground out, only he wasn't that confidant. Something had happened. This wasn't the same scared girl that they'd been chasing.

The Slayer took a step forward, and the vampires all one step back. Then she said one word, quietly. As if it was the sound of far off rumbling, the sort that shook the ground for miles around, 'Thunder.'

The dagger in her hand flashed, it's blade growing longer and hilt suddenly curving, as if grabbing the ruby that shone with a light of it's own.

Another step forward. 'Thunder.' She said again, this time louder. As if charging the very air with electricity. The sword visibly jumped another two sizes as she pointed it at them. It looked sharp, too sharp. Ghostly threads of lightning danced from the jewel.

She called out a third time 'Thunder.' and the tiny arcs became stronger, scattering across the ground and around the Slayer's feet.

Willy wanted to run, to hide and pull the world over his head, but he couldn't. He was frozen in fear, they all were. The Slayer brought her long sword up, enguard with both hands, in front of her face. As if saluting something before rising it high above her head; 'Thundercats hoooo!' She cried out and everything went red.

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><p>Buffy woke up, curled up at the bottom of her bed, still in her street clothes. 'How did I get back here?' She asked herself, standing up. Popping a shoulder she saw the time. She wasn't quite late, but it was getting there. She quickly got changed into something bit more suitable for school and found her bag,<p>

Without thinking about it she packed everything she needed, including a golden whatever that was on her pillow. Back tracking the Slayer looked at it. It was metal, but not gold. There was a silver hilt sticking out of the top and a red jewel that looked sort of like a cats eye. 'Weirdness.' Buffy whispered, she couldn't remember where or how she got it. Only that it was important for some reason. 'Ah well, I guess it's another job for Giles. It might take his mind off the whole Accession thing.'

End Trailer

Disclaimer

I do not own Buffy the vampire Slayer or ThunderCats nor do I intend to make any profit from their use.


	2. Chapter One

By Sword and by Claw  
>Chapter One<p>

Authors note:-

Well here we go, the long awaited first chapter of my Buffy ThunderCats crossover. Take a deep breath people, this is going to be a big one.

Before we dive in I've spent a long time looking at this and I'm going to have to use the 2011 version of the Cats for this one. I know that a lot of people are not gong to like this but the truth is it's the only version I can get to fit with Buffy without really going crazy.

Long story short the 1980's version is set in a post apocalyptic Earth, after Mumm-Ra conquered and destroyed it. While the 2011 version is a little more forgiving.

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><p>Buffy picked up the newspaper from the reception counter and started flicking through it out of shear boredom. She'd brought the, whatever-it-was-with her to school and the two englishmen had almost gotten into a wrestling match over who got to examine it first.<p>

In the end it was Giles who won, leaving Wesley to rummage through the books. 'And you have no idea where it came from?' Giles asked for the gazillionth time.

'I told you, nope.' Buffy rolled her eyes. 'I had a freaky dream, woke up, there it was.'

'And you're absolutely sure it was not a prophetic dream?' Wesley asked carrying two arm loads full of books to the table in the middle of the room.

'Not unless someone's pet cat is going to open the hellmouth.' She sighed and kept on flicking, wondering if Xander had taken the funny pages out already.

'What do you think Mr Giles?'

Buffy looked up to see her Watcher, or ex-Watcher, turning the thing over in his hands. 'Well from the feel I'm guessing the bulk of it is made of gold. The protrusion is silver and the jewel looks to be some sort of ruby. There's a defect in it but other than that quite valuable.'

'Really?' Buffy looked up and they gave her matching disapproving looks. 'Hey, some of us have College to think about. This Slayer gig might have finally paid off.'

Giles didn't flinch, then carefully took off his glasses. 'Buffy; we have no idea where this came from, what it is or just how it came into your possession. We will not be selling the clearly mystical object.'

Wesley coughed officiously. 'That is assuming it is mystical. There are some very convincing fakes at the moment. Until we identify it we can not be certain it isn't just a piece of modern art. Perhaps even from your mother's gallery.'

Buffy blinked, she hadn't even thought about that. 'No. It's not.' she insisted, not sure why. 'I know it's magic. I can feel it.'

The two of them looked at each other. Buffy didn't speak Watcher, or stuffy english person, but she knew what they were saying. 'I can.' She insisted, slapping the news paper on the desk.

'Yes Buffy, I'm sure you can. However perhaps we should wait for someone more mystically attuned to give a second opinion.' Giles suggested.

Wesley agreed. 'The fact is Buffy that, traditionally, when it comes to the mystical side of things Slayers are… well…'

'Blind?' She prompted. 'Useless?'

'Well you have to admit on the rare occasion you have been exposed to magic…'

'Yeah, okay I get it Giles.' Buffy interrupted. 'Willow can do her mojo thing and confirm it, but I'm telling you it's magic.'

'Until then it wouldn't hurt to continue attempting to find out more about this artefact.' Wesley picked up the whatever and turned it over in his hands. 'It would be more helpful if we knew exactly what this object is. Some sort of weapon, or simply a talisman?'

'Or just how much of it is window dressing?' Giles added.

'Window dressing?' Buffy asked.

Giles took it from the other watcher and held it up with the top facing her. 'Camouflage. If, say, the jewel is the important part the rest is either to disguise that or enhance it.'

'That means the rest could have been added later.' Wesley announced, 'And if we're looking for a mystical jewel it could be anything.'

'It would be like looking for a specific needle in a haystack already littered with them. Every wizard, witch, warlock or spell caster out to make a name for themselves forges a gem stone at one point or another.' Giles waved Wesley's expiation off.

'The only way to know for sure is the ritual of Abond-vray-zar-balbuld.' Wesley told her the only way he knew how. Pompously.

Giles sighed and put his glasses back on, 'Yes, but without the four days to build the alter and no chicken to sacrifice I suggest we stick with the original plan to have Willow look at it.'

Buffy blinked, and then stared at the two englishmen. 'Sacrifice a chicken? No chance.'

Wesley looked at both of them, faintly embarrassed. 'Yes, well that is what I was going to suggest myself.'

Buffy tried her best to ignore him and forget the whole discussion. Picking up the paper she leafed through, looking for anything to take her mind off it. After a moment of just looking at the letters, rather than reading them, something began to sink in. 'Hello.' she muttered, quickly reading it properly she got the feeling it was important. 'Urm Giles, listen to this; a visiting professor was murdered yesterday in his apartment.'

'Yes, and?' he asked.

'Hardly an unusual occurrence.' Wesley pointed out.

'Well he was in his rooms at the university and the report says he got knifed.' Buffy said reading on. 'Vamps don't knife people and wouldn't be able to get inside with an invite. Demons would have just ripped him apart. That means someone killed this guy and then someone had the power to bury a murder one page out of the classifieds.'

'You think that the Mayor had something to do with this murder?'

'Know anyone else Faith works for?' she asked.

'Now Buffy we can't be sure…'

The Slayer sighed and rolled her eyes. 'Oh trust me, I recognise the knife happy brush work.'

'You're suggesting that the mayor sent Faith to kill a harmless academic. Why?' Wesley asked

I don't know, but if Mayor Mac-Evil is playing hide I say we go seek.'

Wesley sat up straight 'Ah ha. In trying to hide a vital clue the mayor has lead us right to it.'

'Didn't I just say that?' Buffy asked. looking to Giles who did a bad job of hiding his smile. 'Who knows we might find something out about the ascension.'

As she spoke the library doors opened and Xander came in, holding former demon Anya by the arm. 'Want to something about an ascension? Why not ask someone who's actually been to one.' he announced.

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><p>Richard was, as ever, a very busy man. Running even a small town like Sunnydale wasn't just a nine to five job. Throw in the added complications such as the odd demonic tourist and more recently the ever irritating Slayer and it was a good job he didn't need to sleep.<p>

Now all that effort, all the sacrifices and all the prayers were going to pay off. In just a couple more days he would ascend. With both the Hellmouth in his possession and the infinite powers of an Old One at his disposal there was nothing he couldn't do.

California would be his castle, America his kingdom and the rest of the world his fruit basket. A hundred years in the making, ten thousand years of reign. After that he might get bored, try something else.

But that was in the future and he couldn't afford to daydream right now. He might have been on the last hole of the course but there was still an obstacle in the shape of the Slayer Buffy Summers to overcome.

Richard tuned out the Principal, Snide - something or other. The man did a good job, but he'd be nothing but a labially after all was said and done. After a moment, when he was sure the man had stopped yammering, Richard smiled.

The Principal visibly shuddered away. 'You've done a fine job. A fine job under difficult circumstances.' Richard told him. The man obviously didn't know how to react. 'This school, this town, owes you. More than they know and I promise that you will be paid in full.' Giving him another grin Richard walked off. 'Mark my words, paid in full.'

He had something much more important to deal with.

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><p>'Let me see if I understand what you're telling us;' Giles outlined. 'Accession means to become a full, true demon. A Daemon, if you will.'<p>

The former Vengeance Demon nodded fitfully.

Wesley stood up, looking every inch the pompous arrogant fool he ever was. 'There are tales, of the time before man. Of ancient creatures that shook the world with their footsteps.'

The girl nodded again. 'That's them. The first ones, the old ones.'

'I'm guessing I don't want to fight them.' Buffy suggested.

Giles closed his eyes, trying to recall what he had heard and read about Old Ones. 'The Old Ones is a name for the oldest of the old Buffy. Those that came before. Put simply Buffy they were giants. From what little is known of them they could swat you like a bug.' Pacing up and down Giles let the full scope of the problem settle. An immortal warlock, with massive political and magical powers was hell bent on becoming a force of pure evil in only a few days. 'There must be a way to stop this, and soon.' he announced

Anya shook her head. 'Not once the final invocations are underway. The only way to stop it is to kill him…'

'And now that he's immortal that's not going to happen.' Buffy finished and the rest of the gang lapsed into silence. Giles was completely lost as to where to go from here. With any luck the clue Buffy had found would be of some help, although right now he couldn't see what.

'Hey, guys?' Xander broke the sudden silence. 'Not to change the subject, but what's this?' he was holding the artefact Buffy had discovered.

'We don't know. Buffy found it last night.' Giles waved it off. There were much more important things to worry about now.

'Even if I don't remember where.' She grumbled.

'We were trying to ascertain it's purpose when you and Anya here came in.' Wesley added. 'I don't suppose you've ever seen anything like it before?'

The former demon shook her head. 'Don't worry, it was a good try.' Giles offered his fellow Watcher. 'But I don't think we need to worry about it at the moment. Right now it's just a distraction.'

As soon as he said it Giles knew it was a mistake. As Xander turned the object around the former Watcher cursed under his breath. Almost in slow motion the sliver rod began to shift.

As it fell Giles realised that it wasn't a rod, but a long handle for a silver dagger, the ruby heart set in the cross-piece between handle and blade. As it tumbled through the air the boy jumped back just in time. It landed, point first, in the ground right where his foot had been.

Giles knew first hand just how hard it was to cut into the concrete flooring, but the dagger's tip had slid in like it was water. Fortunately there wasn't enough force behind it to get much further. Still the dagger had to be incredibly sharp do get that far.

'I thought you guys said that thing was solid?' Buffy asked.

'It was.' Giles told them. When he had pulled on it earlier the dagger had been set solid. 'There must be a clasp or something, Xander could have caught it and not noticed.'

'Don't think I caught anything.' Xander protested before looking down. 'Whoa.'

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><p>Buffy looked at the beautiful weapon. She wasn't one to get attached to her tools of the trade. Other than Mr Pointy one stake was pretty much like the next. Short, pointy and wooden.<p>

Swords and axes were the same; shiny, sharp and metal. The way she went through them it was best not to get attached. This thing was something else. The instant Buffy saw it she knew not only was it important, but it was hers.

As she looked at it the Slayer's eye caught the light gleaming along the shining edge of the blade shift. Blinking in shock she watched as it changed, right before her eyes the long handled knife began grow. At first the mounting around the jewel shifted, the sides were further apart, like two claws clasping the blood red ruby. Becoming more like the cross piece of a short sword. 'Are you seeing this?' she asked. As the rest of the gang muttered the Slayer saw the blade had changed too, becoming broader and thicker.

'How…?' Buffy asked. It was getting bigger in stages, not smooth like a tree or something like that but jumping. Now it was a full sword, the long handle was heavy, with a solid pommel at one end. The cross piece was broad and the claws left large gaps around the precious stone.

Even though the blade was thicker it was still perfectly shaped. A deep blood channel, the only marking on its silver surface, flowed down the middle. It grew in two more leaps before finally stopping, Now an exquisite longsword, it's tip still buried in the ground and hilt nearly up to Buffy's chest, even at the angle it had landed in. 'I think we can safely say that it is indeed mystical.' Giles murmured and Buffy could only nod in agreement.

It still wasn't the end, now that it was full size it was like the show had only just started. Miniature arcs of red lighting sparked out from the jewel and scattered all over the sword. Xander practically leapt back even further until he was sitting on the library counter.

Everyone else jumped back too, everyone but Buffy. For some reason she wasn't afraid. A freaky silver knife that had some how appeared in her bedroom. Along with a magic stone and some over sized gold sheath for it. This was a prime recipe for freaking out. Instead she was just standing there.

As fast as it started the lightning finished and was sucked back into the ruby that began to glow. The slit like defect, as Giles had called it, grew with the blade. Buffy was shocked at how much it looked like the eye of a cat. An eye that contracted.

Time stopped. The universe held it's breath and Buffy knew in that terrible second the eye saw her. It saw her like nothing, no one could ever see another. Then it's attention was elsewhere.

The jewel glowed and then, like the beam of a lighthouse it shone on the wall and then through it. Walking down the hall without a care in the world was Mayor Richard Wilkins.

End Chapter One


	3. Chapter Two

By Sword and by Claw  
>Chapter Two<p>

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><p>Buffy leapt into action, grabbing the sword she effortlessly pulled it from the ground. It was perfect, the silver of the handle comfortable and the weight balanced just right. It might have been magical, but it felt like it could do some real damage. For a moment she was ready to face the want to be demon, or daemon as Giles called it, come politician, but it would be pointless. As cool as her new sword was the Mayor was still un-killable.<p>

Buffy felt it twitch in her hand, almost like the sword knew what she was thinking. Half a second later it had shrunk back down into a knife, the red jewel in the middle glowed slightly and then stopped. Picking up what she guessed was its sheath Buffy knew she only had moments. Vaulting over the counter top she slipped the blade inside and stuffed the whole thing under the desk, looking up just in time to see the doors burst open.

Richard Wilkins the Third, or First as Buffy and her friends knew now, had a big politician's smile on his face. Slimy, oily, well practiced and utterly insincere. 'Well, well, well. This is it. Your little home away from home. Faith's told me all about this place.' He walked over to the book cage and looked over at the stacks, before turning to the gang. 'Ahh it does my old, well I can't say soul can I? Good to see youngsters like you enjoying books.'

He walked over to the table and picked up an old book Buffy's watchers were researching from. He opened expertly. 'And the children of man shall all be as one in their pain and suffering.' He read aloud. 'I love a good bedtime story, don't you Mr Giles?'

'Don't you ever shut up?' Buffy asked leaning on the counter top. 'Oh wait I forgot, you're an evil soulless politician. Shutting up isn't in the job description.'

'I like a girl with guts. It's a shame you're so small, hardly going to be a light snack.' he smirked.

Giles almost growled, it was a good thing he didn't have weapon on him or he would probably have done something Ripper-ish. 'Oh I promise you, this is one snack that will get stuck in your teeth.' She threatened.

The Mayor laughed back. 'Guts and sprit, what my dear old dad would have called Blood and vinegar. No wonder my little party last night didn't work. I went to a lot of trouble to set that up. you know. That was very rude, shame on you Mr Giles. You should really keep her trained in the niceties. Dogs sometimes need a firm hand'

Buffy bristled at that, but it was Xander who asked 'Party? Buffy, what's he talking about?'

She shrugged back, trying not to remember the odd dream where she was hunted by an army of vampires. 'If you wanted me, you should have sent an invitation. After all, niceties.' Buffy threw that back at him.

'll remember that.' Wilkins snarled. 'If nothing else I'll be sure to see you, all of you, at graduation. If nothing else it promises to be one hell of a speech and the snacks should be... fresh, wouldn't you agree?' Turning around he strode out of the library, head held high.

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><p>Xander looked around, 'Alright, that was scary.' He wasn't quite sure what had just happened, or what was scarier, the Mayor or the strange sword. Buffy pulled the thing out from under the desk.<p>

'So Mayor on one side and this thing on the other.' Buffy came out from around the desk. 'I know which one I want.' She pulled the Sword, knife, whatever free. Putting the big gold thing down she began looking at it.

'Anya, have you ever seen anything like that?' Wesley asked the former demon.

Xander's prom date looked as Buffy showed it to her. 'No. Where did you get it?'

'Buffy has no idea.' Giles told them. 'Whatever it is the question of whether or not it's mystical is moot.'

'Huh?'

'Xander, how can you spend almost all your free time in a library and not know what moot means?' Buffy rolled her eyes.

'So what does it mean?' Willow asked her, winking at him.

'Well, err. Giles?'

The englishman badly hid a grin as he polished his glasses. 'It can mean a few things, here it means pointless. The weapon is quite clearly both powerful and mystical.'

'Some intense research may be required.' Wesley announced pompously.

'But not right now.' Giles interrupted. 'Whatever or wherever this thing comes from the greater threat is the Mayor and his accession in only a couple of days. I suggest we lock that thing up in the book cage for the time being.'

'No. I could use it.' Buffy said, flicking the knife over in her hand.

Xander looked down at the floor and the nick the sword had made. If he hadn't moved as fast as he had Xander was sure it would have gone through his foot. Hell, his foot might not have slowed it down. 'It is really sharp.'

'And completely unknown.' Wesley added. 'Mr Giles is correct, the only sensible option is to secure this artefact safely.'

Buffy pouted. 'But once you know it's safe, I can keep it. Can't I?'

Giles shared a look with Wesley. 'Buffy, please put the dagger down. It's entirely possible that it's controlling your mind, or at the very least influencing you.'

Xander looked at it and stepped back. So did Willow, Anya and everyone but Giles. The Watcher just stepped closer and held out his hand. Buffy pouted some more, but handed it over.

He looked at it closely. 'It's almost warm to the touch. Whatever this is made of isn't silver.' Giles picked up the gold thing and put it back. 'Wesley, what do you think this large hollow is for?'

'Another weapon, a folding spear?' The other englishman suggested.

'Why would you need one?' Willow asked. 'I mean that sword looked like more than enough.'

'Whatever it is, it's not our problem right now.' Giles put the thing down on the table in the middle of the room. 'The Mayor is our immediate threat. Buffy, investigate the murder of this visiting professor. Anya, perhaps you can help Wesley and myself with some more research. Narrowing down exactly when and where this last Accession took place and anything else that might be useful.'

'What about us?' Willow asked. 'We can be helpful.'

'Ohh, I can get donuts!' Xander offered.

'More than that. I suspect whatever this Party the Mayor mentioned was a plan to take us, or Buffy at least, out of the equation. That means only one thing, he's coming for us. We're going to need weapons, lots of them.'

'If he's coming for us, want's to hurt me, what if he goes after my mom?' Buffy asked suddenly.

'Good lord!' Giles swore, looking shocked. 'You're right. Before we do anything we have to get our loved ones to safety.'

'Now just wait, wait.' Wesley jumped up and was waving his hands in the air. 'I'm supposed to be in charge here and I say what happens.'

Buffy gave him a look Xander was fairly sure she usually reserved for an idiot vampire. 'Wesley; I'm going to warn my mom and get her the hell out of this town before the Mayor tries to kill or eat her. Then I'm going to try and stop him from becoming some true demon thing thats going to eat or kill every snack sized student dressed in a funny hat come graduation. Now you can either help or get out of my way.'

Wesley stepped to one side.

* * *

><p>Willow looked up as Xander came back in, box of Donuts in hand. 'Get through to your family?' She asked.<p>

'Nahh. They weren't coming to graduation anyway.' Her longest friend shrugged. Willow hated how his folks treated Xander, ignoring at best and flat out abusive at worst. Most of the time her own family was too busy and she had to take care of herself, but sometimes she felt that her home life was better than Xanders. 'Yours?'

'Mom's at a talk in LA, Dad's in New York.' Only sometimes. 'Any word from Buffy?' She found a powdered jelly in the box and took a bite.

'I dropped her off at home. She should be done convincing Ms Summers by now and on her way to the Professors apartment.' Xander shrugged, reached out for the sword and then stopped, obviously thinking better of it. 'How's the research going?'

Willow swallowed quickly. 'I found an article the professor wrote online. He was at some dig somewhere when he found what he thought was a dinosaur. Giles is sure it was a demon though! He's looking through the stacks, with Oz.'

'And Anya?'

'Wesley's talking to her in the office and taking a lot of notes. He got the job because she gives Giles a headache.'

'Urm guys, Giles found something.' Willow's boyfriend told her as he came out from the stacks.

'Where is he?'

Oz came down the stairs and opened a book he was carrying. 'Still back there, he thought you should see this.' Oz put the book on the table. The page he'd opened it to unfolded once, twice and again. Willow gasped, the demon was huge.

Xander swallowed nervously; 'We're going to need a bigger boat.'

* * *

><p>The Slayer turned over the badly written notes of the poor Professor. Looking at them from every angle she could. It was written in Greek. technical Greek that had been translated from Chinese or something. Buffy was certain of it. She quickly gave up trying to make any sense of the papers she had found.<p>

It looked like Faith or the cops had gone through this place and turned it upside down, she could only hope they didn't find what they were looking for. Grabbing a useful box Buffy began to throw anything with the Professor's handwriting into it.

There were also a couple of half open maps and battered books with slips of paper shoved in. Buffy tried to read them before sighing and shoving them in with the crumpled papers. Behind her there was a bump and Buffy turned.

It was Angel. 'Real stealthy.' She said as evenly as she could. Seeing him again was like a knife to the heart, almost hurting. Strange enough she wasn't really surprised. It was like she had known he was near the whole time.

Her ex-boyfriend offered a half smile. 'Not my best. I think they were mopping up in the hallway.' They were, but he was a lot better than that.

Trying to ignore her feelings Buffy picked up the box. 'So, what are you doing here?'

'I read the papers.' he shrugged. 'You?'

'Same.' She told him, pushing past and heading outside.

'Here, let me.' Angel took the box from her before she could stop him.

Buffy folded her arms and glowered at the Vampire. 'You going to be doing this, this worn out mystery man routine until graduation?'

'What?'

'The brooding man of mystery bit.' She turned around and stomped out before spinning on her heel. 'What do you want?'

He scowled back, through that oversized forehead of his. 'I'm just trying to help.'

'Help, dumping me the day before the prom. Turning up in a tux then vanishing like batman for days. That's help in your book?'

'I'm just trying to make it easier for you, for both of us.'

The Slayer looked at him. After a moment she laughed bitterly; 'Easier? How is anything going to make this easier?' She grabbed the box and marched out of the building.

Angel was right behind still and Buffy had an idea. Once in the street she shoved the box back into his hands. 'You know what, you can help.'

'Oh yes, how?' He asked tucking the now bent box under one arm and keeping himself between her and it.

Buffy looked up. 'Let's just pretend we never dated. That we can't stand each other. Right now it wouldn't be hard.'

'Alright then.'

'Good.'

'Fine.' He glared at her. They stood there, in the middle of the street, for a moment. 'Where am I taking this?' he hefted the box.

Buffy was about to snap at him again when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Just for a moment.

Giles had spent the last three years trying to teach her how to hone her Slayer-senses. If she was honest up until now she'd been next to hopeless, but right then she felt someone watching her. It was like the feeling you got when there was someone standing over your shoulder, only more so. She could even tell who it was. Faith.

Buffy looked over Angel's shoulder. There, hiding behind the U of the Sunnydale Theatre sign the Slayer could see a shadow move and the precise moment Faith let lose with her bow.

Never before, and probably never again, would Buffy see like she was at that moment. Everything slowed down to a crawl, even her. She could see the arrow, spinning as it came towards Angel's unprotected back. The way the shadows moved as a passing car's headlights lit up the street. The uncomprehending looks any of the dozen or so passers-by were giving them. Everything was so slow and clear she could have counted the hairs on Angel's head in the space of a heartbeat.

The Slayer knew she had to do something, but while her mind and senses were working overtime, her body was as slow as ever. The arrow was heading straight for Angel. He was her best fighter, the best warrior on her side next to herself. However painful it was to have him near she was going to need him. Faith knew that, so did the Mayor.

Moving, at long last, Buffy threw herself at the taller vampire. Hoping to tackle him and throw them to the ground before he was staked. Hitting him was like hitting a wall, even with all her strength he still stood there. Immobile as a rock.

As the arrow flew ever closer she finally got him to move. The box fell from his arms as he began to turn with her momentum.

Buffy knew touching him was going to be hard, but never knew just how much it would hurt. It was like a literal knife to the heart and for an instant felt like nothing else. Then everything was back to normal again and she was lying on top of Angel.

'Are you… Are you alright?' Buffy asked, out of breath and lightheaded for some reason.

'I'm fine, how did… you…'

Buffy smiled, but didn't get up. 'I saw it coming.' She told him, but he wasn't listening. Instead he was looking at her chest in horror.

Looking down she saw what was left of the arrow, sticking out of a ragged hole in her jacket. Buffy wanted to say something witty or sarcastic about it, but all she could do was blink at the feathers. Her mind blank she did the only thing she could. Black out.

End Chapter Two


	4. Chapter Three

By Sword and by Claw  
>Chapter Three<p>

Joyce finished packing her wash bag and made one last check through the house. She'd packed enough clothes to last at least a week and called the Gallery, telling her two assistants there was a small family crisis at her sister's.

The pair of them should be able to cover for her long enough. According to Buffy if Joyce had to be gone any longer than a few days it wouldn't be worth coming back. She wasn't sure how to take that. Badly, or very badly.

It was all so much simpler when she didn't know about her daughter's destiny. When she lived in a world without demons, monsters and homicidal robots. Now she found herself wondering if she would ever see Buffy again and if she could ever forgive herself for abandoning her.

She knew instantly the answer to that was no, she never would.

It was Buffy that had convinced her to leave, to miss her graduation and run away. Run away while the fate of the world and Buffy's life was in danger. Not for the first time Joyce wanted to throw her packed bag into a corner, grab a kitchen knife and stare down whatever monster came her way. Every instinct she had screamed at her protect herself and her family, but she couldn't. Buffy was the Slayer, it was her destiny, not Joyce's. A destiny she couldn't fulfil if she had he mother to worry about. That had been Buffy's argument and it made sense.

Joyce's little girl had to win, the whole world counted on her. That meant she had to leave. Picking up her suitcase she headed downstairs and out to her car. Buffy had her house keys with her so Joyce stopped to latch the door. As she turned around she saw Mr Giles's battered old car pull up. Before it even stopped the librarian leapt out of the antique and ran to her.

'Thank heavens I found you. It's Buffy.'

Joyce's world collapsed in on itself.

* * *

><p>Oz pulled up his van outside the hospital. 'Go, I'll find a place to park.' he told them. Willow spared a moment to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek before following Xander and Wesley into the building. Over the last few years they'd made enough trips to know Sunnydale General well enough, Oz too. It wouldn't be too long before he caught up. Dodging the limited security and bored looking nurses at reception they pushed their way into the emergency ward.<p>

They didn't know what had happened, they were in the library researching the Mayor's upcoming accession when the phone rang and Giles answered. From what they overheard the former watcher still disliked Angel. Something was wrong and Buffy was in the hospital. While Wesley kept demanding to know what was going on Giles grabbed his coat and left. It took all of a minute for Xander to decide he was going to the hospital, Willow and Wesley following and Oz driving.

The three of them found Angel sitting in the Emergency Ward's waiting room, Willow had seen the vampire with a soul hurt, angry, psychotic, and even happy. She'd even seen him after his time in hell. Even then he had never been so lost. He was sat there, his head in his hands, obvious to the world. 'Angel?'

'Willow, Xander!' he looked up desperately. 'Oh thank god you're here.'

'What happened?' Wesley asked in his most pompous tone of voice.

Angel blinked before looking around, 'Where's Giles?'

'He went to get Buffy's mom.' Xander told him. 'How bad?'

'Where is she?' Willow jumped in.

'We… we were talking.' Angel stammered, not sure who to talk to first. 'We'd just come out of the murdered professors apartment. We were in the middle of the street, arguing, when suddenly she threw me to the ground. Next thing I knew she was on top of me. An arrow in her chest.'

Xander swore, Willow gasped and Wesley looked almost green. 'It was a trap, had to be.' Angel continued. 'Should have seen it. Wilkins has controlled the town for a century, if he didn't want something published he wouldn't bury it. It just wouldn't be printed in the first place.'

Wesley visibly pulled himself together, which was more than Willow could do at the moment. 'Is… is she expected to survive?' he asked carefully.

It was all the young witch could do to hold Xander back.

'They won't tell me, but it's bad. Very bad.'

Wesley took a few steps away from Xander and fidgeted nervously. 'I have… there must be… Action. I have to do something. Where's Mr Giles, blast it. Bugger damn and blast!' In a sudden burst of anger the Watcher lashed out at the wall. Willow had never seen him do anything like that and for the first time she actually suspected there was more to the Englishman than a whimpering idiot. After a moment he seemed to compose himself. 'I have to inform the Watchers' Council.'

'Is that all you can think about? The Watchers Council?' Xander asked, shocked.

'Xander…'

'No Willow, I want to know. Buffy's in there, we don't know how badly she's been hurt and all you can do is phone home?' Willow's best friend was angry and looking for someone to lash out at. She knew that, it was just Wesley's bad luck he was in the way. 'You're supposed to beher Watcher, there has something you can do.'

'Believe me, I wish there was.'

'Believe you? Why, because you've got an accent? You've been here for months, months!' Xander shoved him. 'What good have you been? What have you done to help?'

The young watcher looked away. 'Not enough.'

'Damn straight,' Xander agreed. 'Wait what?'

'Not. Enough.' Wesley admitted, suddenly angry. 'If it had been maybe Buffy wouldn't be injured right now. Maybe she would, I don't know. All I do know is that with the Slayer injured there's only us standing between the world and an immortal sorcerer that aims to become a true demon. A monstrous form that would plunge humanity into a biblical apocalypse the like of which no one has seen or heard of in millennia. A job we are woefully unqualified for!' The Watcher ended up yelling loud enough for Xander to back down.

Willow felt Oz wrap an arm around her and she realised she wasn't shivering because of the cold. 'You think… you think this is it?' she asked. 'I might be able to find something… a spell…'

'A spell? Wilkins has been orchestrating this abomination for well nigh a hundred years. He'll have to have clouded the visions of seers and prophets for decades, made deals and arrangements with demons and creatures too humous to mention and sold his sole a strip at a time to evil beyond description. You think a novice witch could summon enough mystical energy for him to even notice?' They'd never seen Wesley like this. He almost seemed competent.

'I doubt it.' Giles said as he came into the room, Buffy's mother was just behind him. Like the rest of them she was pale. 'Throughout history the Slayer has been humanity's first and only line of defence. The council exists to guide, to help her in her task. We can't help her now. The only people that can are professionals.'

* * *

><p>Faith gently opened the door and looked around the corner. Her boss looked up gave her a brief grin that was not meant to reassure her. After a second turned back to the phone in his hand. 'Yes, yes I understand. Terrible business all round, I have to agree.'<p>

The rogue Slayer tried not to wince. She hadn't failed exactly, Angel wasn't going to interfere and neither was Buffy. Not now. Thing was the boss had gone to a lot of trouble to get that poison and he hated wasted effort.

'Yes well I expect you to do your job doctor, as efficiently and as skilfully as ever.' The Mayor said with just the hint of a threat. This time Faith did wince. The boss and threats usually ended messily. 'Yes yes, I have a meeting right now but I'll be sure to call him. Make sure there's plenty of blame to go around, just none for me. Good, good give my love to the wife. Goodbye Doctor.'

He hung up and looked at her. 'Well this quickly became a pickle, didn't it my dear.'

'Sorry boss, she must have seen the arrow coming.' Faith shrugged as she looked at the desk. 'I've never seen her move that fast before.'

'I specifically arranged this little assassination for one reason, to get rid of that traitorous, back-dabbing Vampire. Instead you do a fantastic job on Ms Summers, just goes to show we all have to make room for happy accidents!' He laughed and headed to his cupboard. Inside was enough freaky things to give even her nightmares. 'It's perfect. I had hoped to kill that annoying little blonde bitch with a horde of vampires, but she somehow evaded them. This way that rabble of misfits will spend all their time trying to save her. Rather than getting in my, our way.'

'They can't stop you. Not now.' Faith said, convincing herself as much as anyone else.

The Mayor pulled out a mummified head and took the top of it off. 'Of course not.' He agreed taking a jelly Baby out and offering it to her. 'They'd just be an irritation, but if there's one thing I've learnt you never can be too sure. That's why the good doctor was on the phone. I'm sure he'll have a creative solution to Ms Summers's health.'

Faith tried to smile at that, but something about the causal way he said it chilled her.

* * *

><p>Giles stood by his fellow Watcher and Englishman. Joyce was talking with Willow and he wasn't sure who was trying to comfort who. 'So, have you called them yet?'<p>

'The Council? Not until we know more.'

Giles looked over his glasses at the younger man. 'We both know what will happen. They'll send a kill team to finish the job. They have done before, when a Slayer was injured.'

'Not this time.' Wesley shook his head slowly. 'It would be pointless, the Slayer line continues through Faith.'

'That wouldn't matter. As long as there's a possibility the Council will take it. They might even finish the job with Faith just for the sake of it.' He took his glasses off and polished them. 'I'm sure the only reason they haven't already is that Buffy is, was active.'

'Mr Giles, I knew that. I understand that none of you have reason to trust me, but I am trying to do the right thing.' He took a deep breath. 'I spent my life training for this Mr Giles. Rupert. My father, his father back four generations were Watchers. None of them were called to watch over the Slayer. I was and I found… I found I was woefully unprepared for the task. I still think our only option is to contact them, but I can't risk Buffy's life. I won't.'

Giles looked at him carefully 'You know Wesley, I think you're beginning to get it.'

* * *

><p>Joyce sat with her daughters friends. Willow was a sweet girl, this world wasn't for sweet girls. Joyce wasn't sure who this world was meant for anymore. The Englishmen were off in one corner, like a pair of statues and the two boys, Oz and Xander, just looked shell shocked. It was like they didn't know what to feel.<p>

Joyce did

She felt guilty. Guilty she wasn't there when her daughter was hurt. Guilty she hadn't been there all the times she'd been hurt, the times she'd been scared. Guilty for all the times she should have said yes. Those times she should have said no. She was guilty for the terrible mistakes she made. She felt guilty for all the mistakes she hadn't made yet and now never could.

She felt like she was going to drown in guilt.

Then a too thin looking man with pinched face and medical scrubs came down the hall. It took all of her strength not to stare at the deep red stains on his front. Giles must have been the first to see him because he was already moving to intercept him. Joyce was only a few steps behind and all too quickly the two of them were there, in front of him. 'Doctor, my daughter…' she began.

He took a deep breath. 'Mrs Summers, your daughter is alive and stable. After a fashion.'

Joyce was suddenly glad Giles was there to hold her up as all the strength left her legs. 'What does that mean, after a fashion?' Xander asked.

'I think I should discuss this with the family in private.' The doctor said softly to the teenagers.

'They are family, we all are.' Joyce said firmly, knowing that was how her daughter felt and for once agreeing. Even counting the Vampire.

He nodded. 'Well then, if I can be blunt, Buffy is a young woman of remarkable strength. Both of character and will. This is going to be hard to hear, but you have to understand that if anyone else was injured like this, in my medical opinion, they would already be dead.'

'Thank you, Doctor.' Giles said in a remarkably calm voice. 'And she's stable?'

'Yes, but I cannot promise how long. The, urm, object is pressed right against the wall of her heart. Not half a centimetre more and we wouldn't be discussing this. Complicating it even more is what is known as the angle of attack. The object came in almost right angles to her chest, entering through the right side and being deflected by her ribcage. The sad truth is there are only half a dozen surgeons with the skill to remove it in the country. Now I understand one of them is based in LA, but not only are their skills in high demand but are known to be incredibly expensive. Even then I cannot guarantee anything better than a one in five chance, at best.'

The words sounded hollow to Joyce, like they should have meant something, but didn't. 'Thank you, doctor.' Giles repeated in that same dead calm voice. 'I hope you have some luck contacting your colleague. Come on Joyce, everyone, let's sit down and let the doctor get on with his work.'

* * *

><p>Buffy was dead, well she had to be didn't she. No one could get shot through the chest like that with a crossbow bolt and live. It didn't matter how many wires they stuck to her head or machines that went bleep they brought in. Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer, was dead.<p>

Another big clue was the way she just lay there, barely breathing. One of the beeping machines was supposed to be helping with that, but that was it. The Doctor's hadn't even pulled the arrow out of her. You'd think that would be the first thing they would do. Take out the thing that was killing her. It was basic wasn't it, pull out arrow, save life. The only reason they wouldn't was if there wasn't a point.

So, looking down at her body with a foot long shaft of wood still in her heart Buffy was fairly sure this is what dead felt like. Sure she'd done it before, been dead that is. But it wasn't like this. Then she just wasn't. This was the full out of body, pearly gates, St Peter on his cloud playing his harp, death. So far she didn't like it.

She tried to get peoples attention, shouting waving her hands, even walking through them to give them a chill. So far nothing. Unsurprisingly she couldn't touch anything either. Which did leave the question why she didn't just fall thought the floor, but that one wasn't really on her list of priorities.

Far more important was getting back in her body, but that was the one thing she couldn't do. She could walk through anything and everything else, but trying to get close to herself was like pushing two magnets together the wrong way around. It got harder and harder until eventually she, well her sprit, was flung off in some direction. The way Buffy figured it it was only a matter of time before those machines stopped beeping, her body died and she was pulled the other way. Knowing her luck that was going to be down, rather than up.

She took a deep breath before realising just how stupid that was. 'So, what would you do next, huh?' Buffy asked herself, literally. 'Can't punch, can't kick, can't shout. What next? Cry? That ain't going to work.' She walked around the bed, feeling that strange repulsion pushing her away. 'Come on Buffy. You're supposed to be clever, here. You're the one with the brains. Literally okay, so think. Lying there and dying not an option.' She shouted.

'I'm afraid that is not quite true.' Someone said. Their voice was old, but somehow kind. It was exactly what she expected it to be.

She turned to face him. He was blue, tall and dressed in some sort of armour, with a long, fur lined cloak that came over his shoulders. His face was mostly a long beard, with pointy ears sticking out from under a helmet. There was something almost cat like about him. 'Okay. Not what I expected.'

'I beg your pardon.'

'Death, Grim Reaper.' she said keeping her body between them. 'I mean you got the whole stick-ey thing going on and the robes. Sort of. It's just, no offence, I'm not ready to die just yet.'

'Then you, Miss Summers, have a problem.'

End Chapter Three


	5. Chapter Four

By Sword and by Claw  
>Chapter Four<p>

Buffy looked at the glowing blue ghost thing. 'No I don't. You see I don't want to go just yet. My body's still alive, so when I wake up from this dream…'

'You will not wake up.' They told her. 'And the only thing keeping your body alive are these machines.' He waved a bony hand at the heart monitor.

'I'm the Slayer. I'll heal.'

'In time to stop the Mayor's coming accession?' They shot back. 'No dear one, you are wrong. Even a Slayer can only survive so much. Death awaits you.'

'Well you can just go on waiting can't you.'

The ghost shook his withered head. 'I am not the avatar of death Slayer. Far from it. My name is Jaga and I am here to help.'

That got Buffy's attention. 'Alright, assuming that you're not trying to trick me.'

'A wise course.'

'How can you help me? Aren't you already dead?' She kept the bed between them, but did take a step closer.

Jaga nodded. 'Oh yes and I have been for some time now. However, there is one object that can help you, that can restore you to life and give you the power to destroy the Mayor and your enemies wherever they may be.'

Without knowing how Buffy knew exactly what he meant. 'The Sword. You're talking about the Sword I found.'

He nodded. 'The Sword of Omens and with it the Eye of Thundera, but before you can claim them must know of their history and that of my people.' Jaga told her as he took the hem of his cloak in one hand and threw it over his shoulder. As he did the whole wall behind him shuddered and vanished. 'Before the dawn of your species this world was savage, dark and brutal. Only the iron will of my people, the ThunderCats, tamed it. With righteous claw and just heart did we rule.' Buffy stepped around her own, comatose, body and looked through the hole he'd made.

She didn't have much choice, she'd tried everything to get back into her body and as much as she didn't like to admit it an arrow in the chest was pretty much fatal. If this guy could help her she needed it and if he was tricking her… Well she was already dead, that didn't leave that much to lose.

On the other side of the wall was a city set in a valley, with rivers running through the streets and a giant marble statue of a cat looming over it all. 'Wow.' Buffy gasped.

'Thundera. Home of the ThunderCats.' Jaga announced in a deep rumbling voice. 'Ruled by the Lions, who guided our people through the darkest of times.' He raised his staff and brought it down on the floor, hard. Instead of hitting the linoleum all hospital floors were made of it rang off stone.

In the blink of an eye Buffy was inside what she guessed was a throne room. It was bathed in yellow light. At the front of the room was a set of high backed chairs and the huge domed roof was held up with twisted tree like columns. 'Okay, I'll say one thing you demons really know how to build them.'

'We are not demons Slayer. We are cats.'

'Yeah, right.' Buffy smirked. 'Really?'

Jaga looked at her for a moment, it was the same look she got from Giles when she'd done something he thought was childish or stupid. 'Follow.'

'Follow the ghost of a talking man cat thing through an illusion of a city, while being on my deathbed. Yeah, my life is so normal.' Still, with nothing better to do, she followed him to the window and then outside onto the balcony. She was inside the marble statue, just under the head. 'Where are the dinosaurs?'

'The what?' the old cat asked.

'You know, giant lizards. Jurassic Park?' As Buffy spoke the sun set and it quickly became night.

Jaga sighed. 'They died before our coming, just as we did before yours.'

Buffy frowned. 'Right, makes sense. Sort of. So what was it, another meteor? What wiped you lot out I mean.'

'No, the downfall of my people came from evil.'

'Evil?' Buffy asked just in time to see a missile fly out of the darkness and hit one of the buildings below. 'What in the…?' she asked as more missiles came. Wave after wave of them, destroying building after building.

Even from high above she could hear the screams of people… no cat people in the streets. Desperate, panicking, terrified. 'We have to something!' she shouted as buildings collapsed and the cat people below were buried alive.

Buffy watched helplessly as dozens of them fled into a shelter, only for it to be hit by a missile. Killing everyone instantly. 'What you see now is of the distant past. Whatever can be done has.' Jaga told her sadly.

* * *

><p>Dr Clark looked at the hospital administrator. 'I'm sorry but what?'<p>

'The hospital cannot afford to waste resources on what you yourself consider a hundred to one long shot.' Dr Johnson explained. 'Look Dr Clark, Ian, what honestly do you think the chances are she'll recover?'

'I don't know, but we owe it to her to try. We're doctors for Christ's sake! Not accountants!' he threw the clipboard onto the desk. 'At least I am.'

'Ian!' The bureaucrat snapped. 'I am a doctor, but I have to balance the well-being of one girl over this hospital and all the other patients.' he glance at the file. 'Surgery on Miss Summers would be, in my medical opinion, a waste of resources. For all we know the damage done to her brain through lack of oxygen is permanent. She can't breath without the aid of the machines, she is medically dead.'

Ian still couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'You can't make that assessment, you haven't even been down there to see her!'

'I can, I trust your report.'

Ian had him now. 'The report that suggests immediate medical procedure?'

'I agree with your diagnosis, not your suggested treatment.' Johnson said calmly, as if they weren't talking about letting a young woman die pointlessly.

Trying to clam himself Ian took a deep breath. 'Listen, you and I both know this town isn't what either of us would call normal. The amount of animal attacks I've had to treat kind of give the game away. Now I get it, I really do, people aren't ready for the truth. You could count me among them, but I don't live with my head in the sand. We've both seen the reports and we both know just what this girl can and has done. She'd done more good for this hell hole of a town than all the doctors in this hospital put together. This is our chance to pay her back and I, for one, am going to fight for her life at least as hard as she is right now.'

The Administrator nodded with every point. When Ian had finished he quite deliberately picked up the file and looked again. Holding it between them. For a moment Ian worried that he was being dismissed before the file came down again. 'Ian, we aren't friends. That much is certain, but I have always respected your medical opinion. So when I tell you this it isn't as your boss, or as a fellow doctor but as a person. Man to man. I understand what you're saying and you're right. Sunnydale isn't your normal town. What you have to realise is that there are two sides to every argument. If you don't think this through you might just find yourself backing the wrong horse.'

Ian blinked. 'What are you saying?'

'Come now. You're an intelligent man, a Doctor even. Even in a town as blinkered as this one a young girl is shot down in the middle of the high street, with a bow of all things, and there's no investigation?' Ian felt as if the world was collapsing in on itself. 'Now I can protect you Ian, make sure the right horse knows you were behind them the whole time.'

'Are you trying to tell me you're letting this girl die because someone has told you to?' He backed away.

'Yes Ian that is exactly what I'm trying to say.' Johnson told him point blank. 'And if you even breath a word of it to anyone I will personally feed you to a demon from the deepest pit I can find. Now go back down there, tell her family that we will do our best, but we're having trouble contacting the specialist. With any luck the situation will have corrected itself long before we eventually get them on the phone.' Ian had to hold on to the wall to steady himself. In one fell swoop he'd just been made accomplice to a murder. He needed to sit down, needed to throw up… 'Oh and on your way out send in Nurse Julie. I have an errand for her to run.'

* * *

><p>The smoke from the now destroyed city cleared and Jaga led Buffy back inside the Hall. The bombardment had turned the once golden room into a shattered shell. Dull grey and cracked walls, the floor covered in rubble. sitting on the throne was something evil. It looked like someone had mummified a demon. They looked like a withered blue husk wrapped in rotting bandages that had then been covered in a shredded and tattered red cloak.<p>

'This guy? This is the big bad evil that destroyed your people.' Buffy asked. Sure he was evil looking but she could snap him in half without much trouble. Hell, Willow could win in a fist fight with them.

'Mumm-Ra is a sorcerer of great power and cunning. Underestimating him is often the ultimate mistake.' Jaga warned her. 'This may be his true form, however, he has another.' With that the mummy clawed its way of from the chair.

'Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form into Mumm-Ra, the Ever Living!' Dark purple and black energy raged around the demon before covering him in red lightning. The cloak was ripped off in the storm and he pulled himself straight. What stood in it's place was a nightmare. Rippling muscle, huge leather wings and face that could shatter glass.

Jaga growled 'Mumm-Ra was the darkest of evils. His attack destroyed Thundera and spelt the doom of our civilisation, but there were survivors. A few. Our last and perhaps greatest King, Lion-O, the Just and Farsighted, led them and an alliance of beasts against the evil. Mumm-Ra's minions fell, or joined the forces against him. After long and terrible struggles only he remained.

'Yet, even on the eve of his defeat, Mumm-Ra was defiant.' As Jaga went on the room around them changed. The giant muscular monster was now in the middle of some sort of temple and they were surrounded by four stone statues, each one looking down at them. In the monsters hands was now a light blue gemstone. 'Using one of the four stones of power Mumm-Ra, in a last desperate attempt to claim power and destroy the ThunderCats, summoned an army even he could not control.' Around the monster pictures began appearing like floating TV screens of places all over the world. Dark lightning struck the ground, exploding into a great hole. From the holes something began clawing it's way up. Some of the things were green, others brown. some fat, some made of nothing but tentacles. Whatever they were they all had one thing in common.

'Demons! He summoned an army of demons!' Buffy shouted.

'Yes dear one.' Jaga waved his staff and the world changed again. As Buffy was looking at the open pit on the screen they seemed to be sucked into it. Around them all too familiar walls began to appear, a piece at a time. After only a minute the two of them were in the High school Library. 'It was Mumm-Ra that allowed the Old Ones a place in this world. Opening portals, great rents in existence for them to infect the universe.'

Buffy looked around, it was the library, just like she had left it. 'So big bad blue not only blew up your home and summoned an army of demons but you're also saying he made the Hellmouths.'

'Yes.'

'Great, I sure hope he's dead.' Buffy muttered, forgetting that Cats had good hearing.

'No dear one.' Jaga shook his head. 'Mumm-Ra is beyond death. He was, however, defeated. Lion-O used the Sword of Omens and the four Stones of Power to strip him of most of his powers and entomb him in a nether-realm from which there is no escape. Still the damage was done. Demons roamed the world and the surviving beasts fell into barbarism.'

'So why tell me all of this?' Buffy asked. 'If there's nothing I can do about any of this how does this help me, or you?'

'The mayor's coming ascension. It will return true demons to your world and usher in a new darkness. It is not a coincidence that you found the Sword, nor that you found it now. This is your choice, dear one; take up the Sword of Omens and defend humanity, or let it rest and rest yourself.'

'Some choice.' She sighed. For a long moment she stared at the Sword. 'What are we waiting for, let's do this.'

'Be sure.' Jaga announced. 'This is not a choice you can take back. Once made it can not be unmade.'

'What about my friends, my family? Wilkins will kill them unless I stop him.' Buffy snapped. 'Who else will he kill, how many has he already killed for this?'

'Is there no one else. Your friends? Your family?'

'They need me.' She said. 'I thought you wanted me to do this?'

'I do, but I need you to be sure.'

Buffy put her hands on her hips. 'Well I am, so how do we do get on with this?'

* * *

><p>Xander watched as the doctor sat down next to Giles and Joyce. 'I'm sorry. We… we've had some… Difficulty contacting the experts needed.' He was looking almost green and focused on their feet. 'We're…' he stopped again before suddenly sitting up. 'I promise you, I will do everything in my power to save your daughters life.'<p>

Xander frowned. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know what. As the doctor stood up a nurse walked up. 'You wanted to see me Dr Clark?' they asked.

'What?' He gaped.

'Nurse Julie found me.' They said simply. 'Said you wanted to see me?'

The doctor stumbled backwards. 'Julie… No.' He whispered.

As soon as he spoke an alarm sounded. 'Code Blue, Dr Clark to Room Five. Dr Clark, Room Five.' Xander realised that was Buffy's room and before he knew it he was running.

As fast as he and the other Scoobies were the Doctor was somehow faster. Throwing himself around corners. Xander was just in time to see another nurse, outside Buffy's room, try and say something before he knocked her to the floor.

Inside the Doctor almost fell over himself to get to the machine next to Buffy's bed. 'No. No!'

'What, what happened.' Xander asked gasping for air.

'Her heart's stopped. She's dead!'

End Chapter Four


	6. Chapter Five

By Sword and by Claw  
>Chapter Five<p>

Buffy, despite being a ghost, suddenly felt weak, as if something was very wrong. 'What… What's happening?'

Jaga got a far away look in his eye. 'Your body has all but died. There is no more time and so much you don't know.'

'Right now I just need one thing. How to make this sword work.' She told him.

He nodded, 'We will talk again. We must, but later. The Sword reacts to your will dear one. To use it one must be one with it.'

Buffy rolled her eyes. 'That rates a big fat goose egg on the usefulness scale. How can I become one with it if I can't touch it.' Swaying slightly she collapsed on the floor of the library. It was becoming harder to breath, harder to focus. Quite a feat when she didn't have lungs or really any eyes.

'You don't have to hold anything, just listen. Feel the magic, hear the roar.' He told her.

Closing her, not really there, eyes Buffy tried. As she did she could feel herself falling, knowing that if she let go this fall would be her last. Holding on desperately for a chance she remembered finding the Sword.

It was dark, night. She was being hunted by vampires. So many vampires. There was no way she could fight them all at once. Not with just a single stake and her winning personality. She needed something more, Something to give her a fighting chance. A flame-thrower would have been nice. Then up in the distance, something was waiting. She knew it was waiting for her.

Like flipping a switch Buffy suddenly didn't stumble or trip. The dark forest, only lit by the cloudy moon and distant streetlights was now as clear as day in her mind. As if she knew every rock, leaf and fallen branch by it's first name.

She leapt over a log before swinging under a branch like it wasn't there. Opening up the gap between her and the horde of vampires Buffy turned and headed for the cave. If you didn't know where it was you weren't likely to ever find it. The was no path, not even a animal trail. As if they respected what was there too much. Bursting through the overgrown entrance Buffy ducked and rolled into the cave. Throwing the dead branches off her she half ran, half crawled deeper inside. Three blind turns later she saw a deep red light calling her. This far underground the air was still, but somehow fresh and clean.

The walls were tiled, showing a history of wars between monsters and animals. It looked like a fairy tale, something she almost recognised. As if she heard it in a previous life. All the stories seemed to start at the same point. A pillar in the middle of the cave. Growing out of the pillar was what looked like a stone tree, it's branches reaching up into the ceiling and holding it there.

In the lower, shorter, branches there was something that caught her eye. Instantly she knew what it was, the centrepiece of the whole thing and of each of the stories. The Sword of Omens and in it's hilt the source of the light in the room. The eye of Thundera.

As it glowed brighter the murals on the walls began to move. Panels and tiles sliding over and through one another, changing shape and re-enacting ancient battles. As they did Buffy stood up. Not only in the cave, but in the library of Sunnydale High at the same time. She could smell the books, the sent of Giles's left over tea. She could hear the laugher and the banter she and the others always had. At the same time she was in that cave, the sound of swords clashing, of animals roaring from the history around her The only thing not lost in that strange double vision. The Sword.

For the first time it was awake. Fully and looking at her. Buffy, Vampire Slayer, knew that she was more than just that. She was something much more important. From out of the walls came six shadows. All as real as Jaga who was standing next to her.

Two of them were almost identical, with pale blond fur and brown hair. One was a girl with a round pipe on her belt and the boy had a load of pouches across his chest. Buffy couldn't begin to guess how old they were, they looked fully grown but there was something child like about them. They has a cunning intelligence dancing behind easy smiles. The next shadow was huge, a dark purple in colour and made of muscle and scars. Buffy could almost feel his powerful strength fill the room. Then there was the woman, tall and thin with long beautiful blonde hair that Buffy was naturally very jealous of. She had a sense of speed and precision, like an arrow notched in a bow string. The one next to her was orange, with strong black stripes. Wearing full body armour he had the sort of handsome, arrogant, grin that only the really confidant and charming could getaway with.

Last was the lion. He stood tall and proud, Buffy almost instinctually knew he was the leader and no matter the hight all the others looked up to him. Where he lead they would follow and if he asked so would she. Wordlessly he nodded to her, accepting her and somehow even permitting her to do what was needed.

She knew what to do. Feel the magic, hear the roar. Taking a step forward her non-existent heart leapt into her non-existent mouth. 'Thunder.' Buffy forced herself to say.

The histories on the cave walls stopped and turned to face her. Another step forward. 'Thunder.' It was easier to say this time. Somewhere off in the distance, beyond the ever changing surroundings she felt something flinch. As if a great fathomless evil had heard her.

'Thunder.' She called out again and the library stacks shook with a rumble of power. Suddenly it was as if she was being pushed back. The evil she felt reacting to her cry, trying to stop her. Push her back, pull her down into the depths of after death. There was no way she could fight that force. Not alone.

She wasn't. The seven shadows joined hands and then, through Jaga at her side touched her shoulder. 'Thunder!' Buffy cried out in defiance of them and the evil was thrown back. Like the air after a storm everything stopped, as if everything, existence itself, held it's breath. Waiting for what came next.

Buffy had, in that moment, the weight of destiny, the combined strength of all the Thundercats that there had ever been, and there was only one thing she could possibly do with that power. Touching the Eye of Thundera she screamed to the heavens 'Thundercats Ho!'

* * *

><p>Willow grabbed Oz's arm tightly. 'Oh no, please no.' she whispered. Buffy couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. 'No.' Willow held on even tighter.<p>

'It's okay.' her boyfriend said back. They watched as Giles half carried Buffy's mother out of the room and to a chair. Willow looked to Xander and Wesley who looked back. Before anyone could say anything Giles spun and lifted the Doctor clear off the ground.

Willow didn't think anyone short of a Slayer could do that, but Giles was really angry. 'Who?' he asked.

'Wasn't me…' the doctor gasped. 'The Administrator, I tried to stop them but…'

While holding the struggling Doctor Giles turned to the nurse that was still on the floor. 'I should have known.' Dropping the man the former Watcher pulled out a hanky and started rolling it over his knuckles. 'Who?' he asked the cowering nurse.

Willow knew Giles could be scary. She knew he'd been a bit of a rebel in his youth, but this was actually terrifying. 'I'd answer him.' Xander prompted. 'He is not a happy man, and if he doesn't beat it out of you I will.'

'I don't…' The nurse began and Giles cracked his knuckles. 'It wasn't me. You don't know what they'll do. What they can do!'

'It was the Mayor, wasn't it?' Giles said in that creepy quite voice he was using, emphasised with another crack.

'The Mayor?' the Doctor asked. 'What are you talking about?'

'Richard Wilkins the Third. He arranged it, the assassination attempt and… this.' Angel growled, his face blank with rage.

Willow held on to her boyfriend tightly, it was like the world under her feet was spinning. 'Why?' asks Buffy's mom, her voice breaking. 'Why would he kill my little girl?'

'Because we were trying to stop him.' Wesley admitted guiltily. 'Mayor Wilkins is a Warlock, an evil spellcaster, who plans to become a demon in only a few days. If he succeeds the result will be disastrous.'

'This is crazy.' The doctor shook his head as he got to his feet. 'Demons, warlocks magic? I don't believe you.'

'I am monumentally unconcerned about what you do and don't believe, doctor' Giles said quietly. 'Angel, Xander. Would you both be so kind as to bring me the hospital administrator.'

Angel nodded and headed down the corridor. 'In how many pieces? Xander asked.

'As long as he can still speak I don't really care.'

'Hey Deadboy, wait up.'

Willow watched the boys walk away. 'Giles, what do we do?' She asked him.

'There's nothing we can do.' Wesley answered. 'With Faith by his side we can't stop him. All we can do is warn the Council.'

'What's this Council going to do? Call the police?' The doctor asked sarcastically.

Giles glared at him. 'Wilkins owns the police, he has people everywhere. The Council is in England. The only thing they can do read what happened in the newspapers.'

'Mr Giles is correct

Willow looked at the pair of englishmen and she knew what they weren't saying. They'd failed. With Buffy dead the world didn't stand a chance. Not against what the Mayor was going to become. It would be like Godzilla, nothing could stop him. Not now. They'd lost.

Willow took the moment to faint.

* * *

><p>She was speed, every fibre of her being was speed. She was alive in movement. The ground beneath her was a blur as she ran. She was a dark blur, a guided missile down the streets of Sunnydale.<p>

While she barely felt the blacktop at her feet she left a divot. Each paw print and explosion that tore up the road. Windows shattered, car alarms screamed and fire hydrants erupted. Her long tail acting like a rudder in the air, letting her turn sharply. Her night-black whiskers twitching, telling her in a thousand different ways the right direction to go.

Buffy had never felt anything like it, but before she could stop she had one last errand to run.

* * *

><p>Faith looked out of her window and over Sunny-hell. Buffy was dead, her boss was going to see to that and then he'd be ready. A hundred years ago, hell more really, of planning and preparation all lead up to this. Deals with more demons than Faith could count, Princes of hell, devils and dark gods who's names she couldn't pronounce.<p>

Giles probably could. So could Red. The Mayor would probably tell her to kill them next. It wouldn't be hard, she'd even enjoy killing Wesley, but what then. Buffy was gone, the Mayor was going to rule most of the world before to long?

What would she do then? Faith had a horrible feeling she'd feel guilty. Guilty for killing Buffy, guilty for ending the world. Why? What had the world done for her? A mother that probably still hadn't noticed she wasn't there and a father that had left so quickly Faith wasn't sure she ever met him. She'd had friends before, Of course all friends did was betray you and laugh at you behind your back. She'd had boyfriends who'd dumped her, cheated on her or just left.

What was the point in saving a world that took everything from her? Why should she feel guilt for taking something back. Faith scowled at the city and her own reflection. 'Should all just go to hell.' she hissed. That was when she saw it.

Whatever it was it left a trail of destruction behind. Lights showering sparks and cars thrown about like leaves. Grabbing her knife Faith opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony. Zipping this way and that down roads and back streets, whatever it was had to be coming for her.

Well whoever or whatever it was a nice bit of mindless violence was just what she needed. Dropping into a classic stance the Dark Slayer didn't have to wait long. The whatever bounded down the street and in a bounding leap cleared the road and landed on the building's edge. Before she could react the creature leapt again, straight at her. Front paws throwing her backwards, the last thing Faith saw of it was two piercing green eyes looking deep into her own.

Time stopped, everything stopped, and then it wasn't some hell beast in front of her. It was Buffy. 'I'm sorry Faith.'

Faith was half way in the air, frozen, but while she couldn't move she could still see and feel everything. She could even speak. 'How…'

'It's a long story. I might tell you someday. Let's just say were more like sisters than either of us ever knew, and I'm sorry. I should have been there for you. I should have stopped you, but I couldn't.

'What I am… What I did was my choice.' Faith sneered back. The last thing she wanted was pity. Least of all from little miss perfect.

'Yes. It was, but I still should have helped you see what that was, but I was just as blind.' Buffy sounded sad, determined and resigned at the same time. Faith felt a chill. 'See you soon, Sister.' With that she was gone.

Time started again as Faith was sent through the glass. It shattered like raindrops, her knife clattering off to one side and all Faith could do was lie there staring at the roof.

She didn't even notice she was crying until the sun rose.

* * *

><p>Giles, for the first time in a long time held on to his rage. He let it burn, because that was all he could do. His Slayer was dead, the world was on the brink of disaster and hope was gone.<p>

All he had left in the few short hours remaining was vengeance. To take his pound of flesh from any and everyone responsible for what had happened. It was pointless, immature even in some ways wrong, from a moral standpoint at least, but he was long past caring.

Willow had collapsed and between them Wesley and Oz carried her out to the reception area where she could be looked after. The doctor went with them. That just left him and Joyce to wait for the Vampire and Xander to return.

Giles had first hand experience of just what Angel, or Angelus, was capable of in ways of torture and inflicting pain. For the first time in his life Giles not only welcomed it but was sure he would enjoy watching the Master Vampire work.

'Is this what she wanted?' Joyce asked quietly. 'You, like this?'

'Don't be…' He bit his tongue, holding off the sarcastic remark. Slowly he tried to reign in his anger and knelt next to Buffy's mother. 'No.' he said, voice cracking with emotion. 'But it doesn't matter anymore Joyce. I'm not sure anything does. After graduation tomorrow everything's going to change and without Buffy to stop it that change is going to be for the worse.'

'It changed today, Mr Giles.' Joyce managed to say before crying helplessly. He could only nod back and pull her into an awkward hug. After a moment he looked up to see the Administrator being dragged down the hall by Angel.

Just as he began to stand up everything exploded. It was like being in a sudden tornado. Neon lights above them exploded, the ground shook and tiles leapt off the walls. Instinctively Giles coved Joyce's head and held on.

It was as if the whole building suddenly hiccupped. A quickly as it had stared it stopped. Breathing heavily he pulled back and looked around. Both Xander and Angel had dived into door frames and were looking at one another dumbfounded. further down the debris strewn corridor Wesley, Oz and a shaky Willow stepped into view. Then Joyce gasped.

Giles spun to see Buffy standing at the door to her room. Still dressed in the hospital gown, her hair was wild and left arm encased in the strange gold sheath she had found. She looked down at him and her now kneeling mother and smirked. 'Well, that was fun.'

End Chapter Five


	7. Chapter Six

By Sword and by Claw  
>Chapter Six<p>

Buffy pulled her jacket over the surgical gown they'd given her. 'How long was I out?' she asked the still kneeling Giles.

'Buffy?' He asked again blinking in shock at her.

'No, the easter bunny.' She laughed. 'Yeah Giles, it's me.'

He slowly stood up and reached for her arm. When he was sure she was real he suddenly wrapped her up in a hug. 'You're alive!' He gasped before pulling back. 'How? What happened?'

Buffy shook her head, she didn't know where to begin. There was what she had seen, what she had felt and then what she knew. Shrugging she showed of her new toy. 'Does more than look pretty.'

'The sword?' he asked. The object the sword had been tucked into was, in fact, a gauntlet. Giles could even see fingers on it that he could have sworn weren't there before. Fingers that ended in sharp, knife like, talons.

'… Of Omens.' she corrected. 'It's a long story, tell you later. Right now let's get out of here. I hate hospitals.'

* * *

><p>Mayor Richard Wilkins put the phone down slowly 'So she survived.' He said aloud.<p>

'Sir?' One of his vampire guards asked.

'The Slayer, the other one. She survived.'

The vampire looked shocked,' Summers? but… but Faith shot her in the heart. You said…'

'I know what I said. What I was told!' He shouted. 'Something happened, last night. I felt it. The watchers and that red headed witch must have cooked something up.' He sat down and took a calming breath. 'Yes, that's what they did. Risky playing with life and death like that. Could draw the wrong attention and no one wants that. No siree. No one wants that at all.' He gnawed at a knuckle bone in his finger. It had been close Christmas just gone. With the accession only a day away the last thing he needed was the sprit of evil showing up and drawing a heavenly host down for a pitched battle in the streets.

'It's a shame about Faith, seemed such a capable young woman too.' he said after a moment of thought. The vampire looked at him quizzically. 'Don't get me wrong, she's creative, lethal, dangerous and a real firecracker. It's just recently she's been unfocused. Sloppy. Letting that vampire trick her, revealing my plans like some radio play villain. Letting the witch escape and utterly failing to kill any of the hangers on. Not even that foolish boy, or the fop of a Watcher. I had some hope with setting her against the vampire. Instead she misses and ends up wounding Summers, even that turns out to be a waste of time.'

'You want me to send the boys?' The lackey asked hesitantly.

"Hum, what?' Richard blinked before thinking about it. 'Heavens no, she's still a lose cannon. It's conceivable Summers and her motley crew might try to pull something devious at the last minute. We'll just turn her lose at them, let her prove herself. If they do defeat her, well that's the way it goes I suppose. She should be enough of a distraction to keep their meddling little hands busy until I finish my transformation.'

He stood up from his desk and headed to the cabinet where he kept his relics. Unlocking it he pulled out his skull of jelly beans. 'Shame really, I was beginning to think of her as the daughter I never had.'

'Faith sir?'

'Yes.' he smiled absently.

'You already had a daughter sir. You ate her.'

'Your point?

* * *

><p>Giles parked up his old car, Joyce pulling up next to him and Oz on the other side. The gang got out, still glancing at Buffy to make sure she was really there. They headed for the library. It was closer than anyone's home and long experience meant that Buffy had a change of clothes ready.<p>

'What the hell…?' Wesley muttered. Giles looked around and saw what looked like a disaster area.

'What happened here?' Angel asked. The doors to the school had been blown off their hinges and great divots had been carved from the ground at even spaces. Down a side street the walls looked scorched, bins and refuse were scattered. One lid was buried in the building two levels up.

'Oh yeah, my bad. Oops. I guess.' Buffy shrugged. 'We might need to tidy up the library.'

'Tidy up?' Giles couldn't keep the horror from his voice. From the looks of the hallway she wasn't wrong. It was as if some giant beast had torn through the place. 'Buffy what happened?' he asked.

'It's kinda hard to explain. I was a big cat at the time.'

Xander was the one to say what they were all thinking. 'Big cat?'

'Yeah.' She shrugged. 'Let me get changed and I'll tell you.' With that Buffy headed to her locker. Leaving the rest of them to find the library.

The library was, thankfully, better off than the hallway. Not that that was saying much. The table that had been in the middle of the room was now fire wood, scattered across the entire room. Splinters were embedded in the banister railings and walls. The books they had left on it were lying all over the place. The doors were still attached, but the middle was bashed in, as if something heavy had barged through them. Large dark paw prints lead from where the table was out and down the trail of destruction.

Strangely Buffy took just enough time for them to tidy up to get changed. Giles was in the middle of sweeping up when she came in. The golden gauntlet still on her arm, but otherwise looking non the worse for wear. 'It wasn't that bad, was it?'

Giles could only glare at her. Joyce, who had been helping Wesley rearrange the books, however had an answer. 'No sweetheart, but it could have been worse.'

'How?' asked Xander, who was busy pulling what amounted to match sticks out of the wall.

'She could have blown up our living room.' she laughed. Giles suppressed a growl as everyone but him and Wesley found it hilarious.

Putting the broomstick down he waited for them to stop. 'Back to the point, what actually happened here Buffy? How did you survive that arrow?'

His Slayer pulled a face. 'The Sword saved me. Well not really the Sword, more the jewel thingy.' She tapped the ruby. 'It's called the Eye. The rest of this is just decoration, this thing is the important part. It's one of the Power Stones.'

'Power Stones?' Wesley asked.

Buffy seemed to stop and shook her head. 'Any time now Jaga. No, I'm on my own? Great.' She sighed and pulled up a chair. 'While I was... Well not dead this ghost cat-guy called Jaga came and tried to explain things to me.'

'Buffy, are you sure you're okay?' her mother asked sounding concerned. Not that Giles could blame her.

'Mom.' The Slayer rolled her eyes. 'I got an arrow in my chest, not my head. Jaga was from a race of man-cats that came after the dinosaurs, but before demons. At least that was how he told it. They forged the Sword and the Claw Shield to fight this ancient embodiment of evil. It created, or I don't know summoned, demons to fight for it. When it was all over there weren't enough cat people left and man, us, were coming. So they buried the Sword incase demons came back.'

Giles took a step back. A civilisation pre-demon, it was a fairy tale. 'There... there are stories.' he muttered. 'Legends. Of a great civilisation destroyed by the coming of demons.'

'Mr Giles, those are myths. No solid evidence had ever been found...' Wesley began.

'Yeah, What's this then.' Buffy asked him, waving her golden hand

Giles was still thinking things through. 'If Buffy is correct then we might have just found it Wesley. We need to research, everything we and the Council have on this. As soon as possible.'

'Whoa there.' Buffy stood up. 'We're not calling the Council. And we're not wasting time reading some ancient book written in some unreadable language. We've got to kill the Mayor before he eats us all at graduation.'

'The Mayor?' Joyce gasped

'Yeah, I left that part out. Sorry. Again.'

'Buffy's right.' Angel announced. 'People's lives come first.'

The Slayer nodded before spinning on Giles. 'That includes getting my mother out of town. Now.'

Joyce shook her head. 'I'm not going anywhere. Not this time.'

'Mom?! Buffy half shouted, 'Giles, tell her.'

Feeling distinctly uncomfortable the former Watcher got as far as clearing his throat when Joyce replayed. 'I'm not running Buffy. I'm going to stay and fight.'

'No no no. Giles...' she insisted but her mother cut in

'I was going to leave before...' Joyce admitted

Buffy interrupted 'Leave now. Leaving is good...'

Clearing his throat again, this time very loudly Giles finally got their attention. 'Joyce, Buffy's right.'

'See...' the Slayer began only to be very quiet after he turned his glare on her. 'She is also extremely wrong. This fight is no place for civilians, that much it true, but if Joyce goes so must myself, Xander, Willow and everyone else in this room.'

Buffy looked around. 'Nothing's stopping you.' she told him carefully.

'Yes, there is.' Angel supplied. 'It doesn't matter how powerful that sword is you need us for this one.'

Buffy looked at everyone, Giles knew they were all agreed with Angel. 'I'm not putting my mother in danger.' She said stubbornly.

'That's her choice.' Giles pointed out.

For once it seemed she agreed wit him. 'Mom, please. I can't do this without knowing you'll be safe.'

Joyce took her daughter's hand. 'Buffy, I've lost you once today and you told me this isn't the first time you've died.'

'It wasn't exactly my choice.' Buffy refused to look her mother in the eye, not that Giles could blame her.

'I can't go anywhere without knowing you'll be safe and you can't promise me that.'

'Okay, but promise me you'll be the one to try and stay safe.' The Slayer almost begged.

Joyce smiled and pulled her daughter in for a hug. 'You promise me the same.'

After a moment of silence Xander stepped up carrying a battle axe in one hand and a mace in the other. 'Now time for the important question Mrs Summers; sharp or blunt?'

'If we have quite finished with making jokes.' Wesley announced, attempting to sound authoritative, but just coming off as particularly pompous. 'There is still one issue we have yet to discuss. Just how are we going to destroy the demon Mayor once he has assumed his demonic form.'

Everyone looked at each other as Buffy raised her gauntlet again. 'I have a really bad idea about that...'

* * *

><p>Faith followed the Vampire into the Mayor's office. It was morning and after that, whatever it had been, attacked she hadn't got any sleep. Inside was the stunted little troll of a Principle. Snyder. '...Destroyed the hallway! It'll take days to fix. I want her out of my school. All of them! That librarian to.' He was seriously pissed off. Enough to forget just who he was talking to.<p>

'Royston, Royston, Royston.' The Mayor shook his head. Faith could hardly believe it. No one talked to the boss like that. 'Would you prefer me to call you Roy? Roy I would like nothing better than to remove this particular problem from both our lives, however the timing might need to be looked at. That troublesome girl and her friends graduate tomorrow. We have to ask ourselves what would be the point?'

'She's a menace. I thought you wanted her gone.'

'I do. More than you could ever imagine, but the paperwork for both of us wouldn't be worth it now would it?

The stunted troll seemed to be struggling with himself, as if he remembered were he was. Eventually he nodded.

'Good, excellent in fact. Now get your caretakers to work fixing that school of ours for tomorrows ceremony. I want everything polished and perfect. This is going to be a graduation no one's ever going to forget.'

'What about that Librarian?' Snyder snapped without thinking and Faith kept her face blank. If he walked out of here alive it would only be because the boss wanted to plan something special for him.

The Mayor smirked back calmly. 'You have it on the best authority he will no longer be your problem after tomorrow.' The smirk became a grin. 'Oh and Roy, You've shown some real sprit coming here and talking to me like this. I'm impressed. Don't do it again.'

The Principle went pale so fast Faith was sure he had to be losing blood. Stammering a thanks he shuffled out, past her and down the corridor.

'Well Faith, I take it you've heard?'

'That Buffy survived, how?' She asked. 'I saw the arrow, I saw it kill her.'

'Well that's the thing with you Slayers. Your tough, resilient, and just that unpredictable. She held on long enough for the Watchers and that red headed witch to cook something up.' he smiled, but Faith could have sworn she saw something flash behind his eyes. 'But that's for later. Good news is a spell like that would drain whatever energies they had. Not that they had much chance. Still better safe than sorry.'

He looked at her for a long moment. 'I have a job for you, my dear. Buffy's resurrection would never have worked if a certain doctor, and administrator, had done as they were told. Be a sweetheart and deal with it will you?'

Faith nodded, touching the knife at her hip. 'What then boss?'

'Take the rest of the day off.' he shrugged back. 'I'll send a car for you as one of my guests at Graduation.'

'And the Principle?' She asked, hoping she wasn't pushing to much.

He grinned. 'Roy's just blowing steam. He wasn't chosen for his personality. No, I've looked forward to rewarding him for his service for quite a while now. He's mine.' Faith laughed back, but didn't feel good about it.

End Chapter Six


End file.
